Walking apparatus for the lame



J. F. WELTER.

WALKINGAPPARATUS FOR THE LAME.

APPLICATION ILED APR. 9, 1920.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

UNITED STATES JOHANNES FRANGISCUS WELTER, OF UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS.

WALKING APPARATUS FOR THE LAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed April 9, 1920. Serial No. 372,488.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANNES FRANCIS- oUs l VELTER, a subject of theKingdom of the Netherlands, residing at Utrecht, Schoolstraat 32,Netherlands, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inWalking Apparatus for the Lame, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to and is an improvement of walking devices havinga calfpiece and a part which can easily be connected to the heel of aboot.

The general object of the invention is to provide an apparatus with theaid of which persons, having a lame foot or an artificial foot, can moreeasily walk than with the devices heretofore used. In using theapparatus of the invention the patients more especially do not need tolift the limb as high that the foot is totally lifted from the floor andthe lame or artificial foot will i move nearly in the same way as innormal walking.

There are already apparatus known consisting of a calf-piece and a partof which can be connected to the heel of the boot both parts beingconnected to each other by means of a flat plate spring.

Such apparatus do not allow however a sufficiently free movement of thefoot and moreover the latter is not, as in the invention, pressedupwardly in forward direction.

According to the apparatus of the invention the calf-piece and theheel-piece are at their backside connected to each other by one or morebent elastic bands each made in one piece, which are thus mounted, thatthe curve or bend of the bands is situated, above the heel and below theankle, the bands are adapted to tend to press the foot in the plane ofthe limb somewhat upwardly in forward direction.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a sideview of a boot provided with an apparatus according to this invention.

1 indicates the calf-piece of thin yielding metal, which is open at thefront-side and yieldingly embraces the calf of the wearer. It isprovided at the front with eyelet holes through which a lace may bepassed. 2 is the heel-piece, consisting of a bent piece of metal whichis also open at the frontside and .the ends of which have a rearwardlytapering slot, with the aid of which the bent piece of metal can beconnected to the heel of the boot by means of a pin 3 which to thisobject is driven into the heel. The pins 3 must be thus situated thatthe heelpiece extends to the rear 0r backside of the boot to avoit thatthe good action of the springs to be described further on is nothindered. The calf piece and the heel piece are in the execution form ofthe drawing connected to each other at their backside by means of twobent springs 4L and 5. The first one 4 serves substantially to form theconnection between the two pieces, while the second one 5 moreespecially serves to influence the movement of the foot. Both thesprings are riveted to the calfand the heel-piece or connected theretoin any other suitable manner. The spring 5 is somewhat longer than thespring 4 and is provided with a more curved or more bent part which liesbetween the heel and the ankle of the wearer.

The heel-piece extends to the rear at 6, to keep during walking thesprings at some distance from the boot. To prevent breaking of thesprings, a guide 7 is provided to the calf-piece, which embraces thesprings. The spring 5 is so long that in the normal position itscurvature extends to the rear of the apparatus.

It will be clear, that instead of two springs, one strong spring or morethan two springs may be used. The apparatus can 7 also be thus arranged,that if necessary a further spring may be added. To this effect can beprovided to the calf-piece a number of pins which fit in openings of thesprings to be mounted.

The other end of the spring is then in troduced into the extending part6 of the heel-piece. It is also possible to use this apparatus forpersons having an artificial limb or foot, the use of apparatus of heavyconstruction being no more necessary.

The calf-piece can of course extend if desirable over the whole lengthof the calf.

I claim:

Walking apparatus for the lame, comprising a calf-piece, a piece forattachment to the heel of a shoe, a spring bar attached to saidcalf-piece and said heel piece, said spring bar'having a rearWardlyoffset bent portion at a point between the heel of the shoe and theankle of the wearer, and caus- 5 ing said spring to press the footconstantly {forward and somewhat upwardly, a second spring bar alsoattached to the calf piece and heel, arranged on the first named springbar and having a rearwardly offset bent portion spaced from that of saidfirst named spring bar. i

In testnnony whereof, I havesigned my 7 name to this specification.

JOHAN'N'ES FRANCIS GUS WELTER.

